Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands - Genealogies of Maui (Part 1) The US GenWeb Archives provide genealogical and historical data to the general public without fee or charge of any kind. It is intended that this material not be used in a commercial manner. All submissions become part of the permanent collection. Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands " Keepers of the Culture " A study in time of the Hawaiian Islands Genealogies of Maui and stories told by the ancients.-- Part 1 by Darlene E. Kelley October 30, 2000 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Genealogies of Maui and stories told by the ancients.-- Part 1 As told by the ancients-- The Prince Maui-Loa was the first independant sovereign of Maui. The Prince was born at Kaupo and came into his sovereignty at a young age. The beginnings of his reign was marked by countless battles to establish his authority from many of the district chieftains of Maui who were loath to surrender their almost autonomous rule to the younger branch of the sacred ruling lineage of Hawai'i. The chiefs of Maui preferred to pay homage to the Kings of Hawai'i who were distant from them and actually not too interested in their affairs. Maui-Loa, however, subdued his his chieftains and vassels with the help of his uncle, the Prince Haho, King of Hawai'i. who established his authority over Maui. In the return for his help, Maui-Loa ceded the district of hana to the Kings of Hawai''i, and moved his capital to the village of Lahaina. This cession of Hana to Hawai'i was the root cause of many fierce battles between Hawai'i and Maui for the possessin of this rich area. Twenty generations of independant monarchs ruled in Maui from the Prince Maui-Loa until the accession of Pi'ilani the Great, who was perhaps the most renowned monarch of the island kingdom of Maui. The Kings of Maui consolidated their strength, built up their armies, and created a nation strong enough to threaten at times even the powerful kings of Hawai'i. The Prince Maui-Loa was succeded by his son, the Prince Alau and the generation of Maui kings passed as follows; Maui-Loa wed Moe-I-Kaeaea and had Kanemo-ku-Heali'i, who wed Keakauhale and had Lono-Mai-Kaiewa, who wed Kolu-Ku 'i-Mulia ad had Waka-Alana, who wed Kauai-Kapu and had Alo-I-Kahakau, who wed Puhia and had Kahekahoku, who established on Maui the worship of the Lizard God La'a. The Prince Kahekahoku wed, Maia-o-Ula and had Ma-pule-o-Ula, who wed Kamai-o-Kalani and had warlike Paukei, who conquered the Kingdom of O'ahu and then wed the Princess Painalea of O'ahu and had Luakoa the Stupid, who lost the kingdom of O'ahu. Luakoa the Stupid wed the Princess Hina-Apeape of Kona and had the twin brother and sister, Kuhimana and Kaumana. The Princess Hina-Apeape of Kona was the full sister of the Queen Consort of Hawai'i, of the reigning monarch of Hawai'i, the Prince Kalapana. The Prince, Kuhimana wed his twin sister the Princess Kaumana and of this sactified union was born the sacred Prince Kamalu-Ohua. When the Prince Kuhimaa was slain at the battle of Kaeleiki, his sister-bride was so very distraught that she killed herself and fell over the corpse of her husband. The Royal couple were buried together at the sacred burial caves at lao. The sacred Prince Kamalu-Ohua was a pleasure loving monarch who hated theduties and resposibilities of government. he loved better the soft caress of his women than the stringency of battle. For generations the wisdom of his predecessors had strengthened his kingdom so that Maui had been spared the invasion of inimical armies, and Kamalu-Ohua was content in this false security. On the island of Hawai'i, reigned his own cousin, the Prince Kalaunui-Ohua. On the island of Moloka'i his maternal uncle, the High Chief Ohua-Pouleilei, ruled as vessal of Maui. Another cousin was the monarch of O'ahu, te Prince Kau-a-Kamaka-Ohua. It seemed far fetched that any of his cousins would want to wage war upon him, and Kamalu-Ohua basked in his seeming safety. All the monarchs of this period carry the epithetic title of " Ohua" which means servent. All of these Princes were descendants of the sacred Prince Kanipahu, King of Hawai'i. the 110th monarch of that linage. Kanipahu was over thrown from power by his half brother the High Chief Kama-lole, and was forced for a time to labor as a servant. The title " Ohua " memorializes this period of humiliation and servitude and of the profanation of royal sanctity by menial labor. It is a title borne proudly by many princes of the royal houses of Hawai'i. The island Kingdom of Hawai'i rises in majestic splender from the depths of the Pacific and reaches with her snowy crest of Mauna Kea to kiss the very heavens, the highest mass of earth in the world. Over this kingdom about half a millennium ago ruled an ambitious prince who, within the pasture of his eight island universe, dreamed of empire. This was the Prince Kaiunui-Ohua King of hawai'i and the 122nd monarch of the Hawaiian race. Throttled by the dream of empire and conquest, the Prince of Hawai'i let his covetous eyes wander over the seas to the other kingdoms of this archipelago. He gathered together the warrior clans of Hawai'i, collected provisions, and assmbled a fleet of war canoes. When it was ready, the armada of Hawai'i moved against the green coasts of Maui. The armies of Hawai'i in one mighty sweep had conquered Maui, O'ahu, and Moloka'i. The monarchies of those kingdoms had surrendered their sovereignty before the conquering power of the King of Hawai'i, Kalaunui-Ohua. And now the victor stood on the shores of O'ahu and gazed 90 miles acros the ocean channel to the richest prize of all-- the rich and fertile lands of Kaua'i. Te island of Kaua'i is a veritable garden, her fields are rich, her waters are sweet, her seas teem with abundance. For many decades since her invasion and conquest by the mighty Prince Moikeha, Kaua'i had enjoyed an era of fruitful peace. These years of peace however had not debilitated the prowess of the warriors of Kaua'i. Their courage was renowned, and their skill in the arts of battle was to be feared. Not alone on their strength and bravery of their warriors did the people of Kaua'i depend for their security. High in their green mountains stood the great Heiau [temples]. Just below the crest of Mount Kawaikini stood the holiest of the holy, the sacred Heiau of the Supreme IO- the only temple outside of the island of Hawai'i, erected to honor IO. The priesthood of Kaua'i had a profound knowledge of those mystic and truth which govern all elements and subdue the very forces of nature. The armies stood as the last measure of defense; before them in gray clouds of mystery rose the strange powers of the Kahuna the priesthood. Even before the allied forces of Maui,O'ahu, Moloka'i and the conquerng Hawai'i had prepared their invasion, the priest of Kaui'i had predicted their attempt and they smiled at the puny efforts of men against the gods. On the hills above Koloa on the island of Kaua'i stood the Heiau and enclosures of the palace of the reigning princes of that island kingdom, the gracious Kukona. The name of this prince in Hawai'i the symbol of the very highest ideals of chivalry in battle. Long before the great pandanus sails of Hawai'i and her allies were seen, the court priests of Kaua'i had come before Kukona to warn him of the impending invasion. Kukona had asked if theirs would be the victory. To which the priests had answered one word-- victory-- and kukona turned his eyes away and wept. " O, that the blood of my people and my children, must flow again over their sacred land." Centuries after Kukona had died another monarch of Kaua'i, Prince Kaumuali'i, a descendant of Kukona, was faced with the same threat of invasion from Hawai'i and her allies. he remembered the tears of his ancestor and the concern of Kukona for the lives of his people. Kaumuali'i had naught to lose but his throne not half so precious to him as the blood of his subjects. he delivered his sovereighty to the invading Kamehameha. Few of the world's monarchs can boost of so deep a concern for the welfare of their people. The king of Kauna'i, Kukona, had no intenion to surrender nor to deliver his sovereignty to alien hands. When the armada of Kalaunui-Ohua, touched the shores of Kaua'i, they were met by an army of only 500 men- defenders of Kaua'i.